Things I Have Learned From Peru:

1. If someone is speaking english to you, and they aren't your reader, they probably want you to buy something
2. It is really hard to change U.S. dollars unless they are completely pristine (yea...got stuck with a basketload of groceries in front of a long line when the cashier told me she wouldn't take my money because someone drew a random small letter on my $100 bill lol)
3. Peruvian people will give you the shirt off their back to help you...and cook you the best meal you've ever had to boot
4. Peruvian time is no joke...haha if someone is only ten minutes late they probably aren't from Peru
5. The stray dogs may look cute, but they don't really like to be petted. I guess they'd much rather have a sandwich.
6. Packing a sandwich in your purse to feed the stray dogs with is NOT a good idea.
7. Yes, the diarrhea does eventually go away
8. There is so much rich love within families it's amazing how it can overshadow stark poverty
9. There are SO many people wanting and praying to know the true Jesus, what's real and beyond all the saint worship and tradition
10. Just let God plant the seeds!

• (At times I grew so silly, stressing over how I could possibly say exactly the right things, kicking myself when I didn't know exactly the answer to every question, feeling like there was no way God's message could be translated through a bumbling person like me. **Who am I to doubt God's power??** Then, out of the blue, one of my readers, who when we started, basically told me he was an agnostic who did not enjoy studying the Bible, came to this past week's social event, which was a devotional, and actually came up to me afterward and told me he enjoyed it! **Who am I to doubt his message?!** After I thought about it Thursday night I felt like such a "tonto." I can't believe I ever thought that any of this had anything to do with me. Doesn't Paul say in 1 and 2 Corinthians that God chooses the lowly things to glorify Him? So that we can only boast in the Lord? It seemed like such a forgettable lesson when I was going through training to come here. Only now do I understand what it truly means.)

Week 4 and 5 update

It is so hard to believe that this coming week will be our last week!! I am still working on getting my postcards mailed out, haha. I am SO thankful to everyone who has helped me in some way, be it prayerfully, financially, or spiritually, to be here. This trip has been such a medium for spiritual growth and maturation. It has been hard work, but also really fun. Here are some pictures of me and my team actually working (haha yea all the pictures I posted so far weren't from working, but it has just been so busy that it was kind of hard to ask each other to take pictures while we were reading):

This is Ingrid (left) and Leidy (right), two of my readers

And this is Jason

More pictures to come! The internet does not have a very good connection. Every Monday through Thursday we head over to the church at 10am and read with readers until 1pm. Then we have lunch, and come back at 3pm to read with people until 8pm. Also on Sundays we read with people from 3 until 8pm. Students who sign up to practice english with us are free to schedule how many times a week they would like to meet to read the book of Luke. For example, Leidy, Ingrid, and their friend Nadia read with me five days a week, while Jason reads with me three days a week. Each session is one hour.

more pictures!! scenery, readers, and church members :-)

Downtown Lima

Carol, one of the church members, and I

Landon and I with Louis, Angie, and Lizardo from the church

Downtown Lima

The children at the church doing a special presentation for mother's day

At our second social party, with Lizardo, Matsu, Landon, Barbara, and Loretta. Matsu is Landon's reader and Barbara and Loretta are my readers.

Reading today...I'm going to be smart today and remember my spanish-english dictionary

I will be leaving in about an hour to start reading sessions today with my students. I absolutely love studying the bible with all of them! At first, I was worried because I thought that things might become monotonous, studying the same lesson, eight hours a day, two days a week. (Because I have different afternoon readers on Monday and Tuesday, then the cycle repeats Wednesday and Thursday)

But everyone is so diverse! Different levels of English and different undertstandings of the passages have led to very different discussions every hour. I love my readers! It sounds odd to say, but I feel as if we have all become very quick friends. I truly look forward to reading with them every day. I wish there were more hours in the day to have more discussions and for us to do other things together.

Please keep me in your prayers. I am getting questions very frequently about the differences between Catholicism and Christianity. I have been trying my best using the scriptures I know, but I really don't know very much about Catholicism in the first place. Additionally, some of Landon and my readers are very skeptical about starting bible studies with the church leaders, because I guess they feel like we are more "normal" ...I guess in terms of not being pre-armed with an arsenal of anti-Catholic literature. Some of our readers will not even read prepared literature.

My readers range from that to agnostic to very passionate about Christ. One of my readers, Loretta, is attending church with me now. It is such an encouraging blessing! I praise God for having his hand in this trip. And I pray that he will continue to lead my thoughts, words, and actions for his glory.

Our Social Party Yesterday

These are just a few pictures of our social party yesterday. There are certainly a lot of new friends and faces to get used to. One of the women, Loretta, in the purple shirt, has decided to come to church with me. I am in the picture with Matsutaro, my reader who transferred to Landon because he wanted to read more hours.

Second (and First) Weeks in Peru:

When we arrived, it did not take long to realize how different things were! Peru is nothing like America, although I did notice some things in common with Barbados. Actually, the city smells exactly like Barbados. It smells wonderfully like the ocean.

Landon and I were blessed in that we had no problems at all flying from San Antonio to Peru. There was one layover in Houston, and that was uneventful. Even when we landed in Peru, going through customs and immigration was very easy.

The following Tuesday after arriving was an easy, relaxing, “getting adjusted” day. We learned where the nearest supermarket was, how to contact people with the local phones, and met some of the church members. Wednesday then we went to the English Institute and advertised for the coming classes. We also had an introductory information meeting that night. Then Thursday we jumped right in and started reading with the Peruvians!

We have experienced SO much interest since the classes have started! So many people want to read that we no longer have any space in our schedules! Landon is reading the book of Luke with eleven people, and I am reading with nineteen. Additionally, we have a waiting list. Thank the Lord! Things are going very fruitfully.

Preliminaries

What a great start to the summer! Currently I am sitting in my parent's house, watching my dad workout on some in-home elliptical trainer. It looks like hard work, but it also looks kind of funny lol.

Not quite the momentous introduction to a life-changing LST trip? It most definitely is to me :-) With my home being eight hours away from Oklahoma Christian, getting to see my parents is an infrequent occasion, and so when it happens I'm more excited than a kid at the circus. Certainly only the Lord is omniscient, but they definitely know a great deal more than me and I'm more than appreciative for any pearls of pre-trip wisdom.

Actually, our LST team departs on Monday, May 3 to Peru. Meanwhile, I shall be spending some needed relaxation time with my small, but hearty, family.